With the saffron party launching “Vijay Lakshya 2019”—the campaign to mobilise support for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s re-election in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, the youth wing of the party is preparing to launch its two-month campaign on January 12, coinciding with the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekanada.
“Matthomme Modi” (Modi, once again)—will be the campaign slogan in Karnataka, and the Yuva Morcha will mobilise support through its 14 unique programmes, culminating in a bike rally on March 2.
The morcha hopes to build a strong volunteer base at the booth level to popularise the pro-people programmes of the BJP government and to bring together the beneficiaries of the various welfare schemes launched by the Modi government in the last four-and-a-half years.
The party will reach out to the young voters through “campus ambassadors” in universities and colleges across the state, and the ambassadors will then engage with larger audiences on the campuses to showcase Modi’s policies. “My first vote to Modi”, pledge for first-time voter will also be launched.
The BJP Yuva Morcha will hold 14 programmes as part of it's two-month campaign that will conclude with a bike rally, “Kamala Sandesha” on March 2.
“We will rope in talent and identify youth icons in each district to steer forward the social media campaign, bring bloggers, columnists, journalists and authors, and seek their support. We will reach out to youth through sportspersons who have been part of Khelo India campaign and also conduct Kamal Cup tournaments to attract the youth,” said Thammesh Gowda, state general secretary of Bharatiya Janata Party Yuva Morcha.
“Youth festivals in colleges and Yuva Sansad (mock parliament) for law students will be held to discuss current issues. Distinguished persons and achievers will be invited for Town Hall to update them on the programmes of the BJP government," said Gowda, adding that the party’s presence on social media would be increased through enrolment of online volunteers.
According to the BJP IT cell estimate, Karnataka has 3 crore internet users and 2.6 crore active WhatsApp users. The social media team can play a big role in the polls by publicising the government programmes and policies.
"Modi's dream has been empowerment of the youth. The Mudra Yojana has benefited more than 12 crore people. It has made people self reliant rather than job seekers. The flagship schemes like Digital India, Startup India and Digital India are designed to help the youth of this country. We will reach out to 13 crore first-time voters," says BJYM national vice president Keshav Desai.
B.Y. Vijayendra, general secretary of BJYM said state president B.S. Yeddyurappa's dream was to win 20 out of 28 Parliament seats. “The coalition government has not implemented the farm loan waiver announced by H.D. Kumaraswamy as a poll promise, even after seven months. No investors are coming forward to invest in the state, which has stalked employment generation. The financial status of the state is a question mark. We demand a white paper on it,” said Vijayendra, hinting that the youth wing would launch protests against the ruling coalition to highlight its failures.
State BJP general secretary N. Ravikumar urged the Yuva Morcha to imbibe the values of the BJP. “The Congress has forgotten the ideals of Mahatma Gandhi, but Prime Minister Narendra Modi has worked tirelessly, without taking a single day's leave in the last four-and-a-half years. The Yuva Morcha should reach out to the youth by touring the state and educate them on Modi's work.”